1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buffer member for a shipping carton, interposed between the shipping carton and an article packed within, to protect the packed article from external impact during shipping and storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home appliances including television sets, video cassette recorders, refrigerators and washing machines go through a packaging process during the final stage of manufacture.
As shown in FIG. 1 for descriptive purposes, a home appliance such as a television set 1 is generally packed in a shipping carton 10 usually constructed of corrugated cardboard, depending on the type and size of the appliance. Buffer members 11 and 12 are installed at the corners of the shipping carton 10 so that the television set 1 is prevented from moving inside the shipping carton 10. In addition to providing support, the buffer members protect the packed article by absorbing forces generated by an external impact to the shipping carton. In general, buffer members 11 and 12 are formed from a synthetic resin such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polypropylene (EPP), often called Styrofoam.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 indicates upper buffer members placed on the top/side portions of the television set 1 to protect the top and side surfaces of the television set 1. Reference numeral 12 indicates lower buffer members placed at the lower/side portions of the shipping carton 10 to protect the bottom and side surfaces of the television set 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the interior surface 16 of the lower buffer member 12 is formed to correspond to the peripheral contours of certain portions of the packed article. Because of their placement along the bottom portion of the shipping carton 10 to support the packed article, the lower buffer members 12 can be crushed or damaged due to overload of the packed article, thereby reducing the buffer members support and cushioning attributes.